While all aircraft strive for efficiency and economy in its arrangement of components, this is particularly critical in smaller commercial aircraft. Single aisle aircraft are especially stringent when it comes to the number of seats that can be accommodated, since each additional row of seats, or seats themselves, represents a higher percentage of profitability as compared with larger aircraft. However, the floor plans of these smaller aircraft are typically fixed by other constraints, thereby limiting the number of seats available. Any arrangement that allows for additional seats represents a significant advance that corresponds with a consequential opportunity for profitability.
The majority of single-aisle aircraft include an aft lavatory and galley arrangement 20 like that shown in FIG. 1. In this arrangement, first and second lavatories 22, 24 are positioned forward of aft or rear doors 26, 28 on either side of a center aisle 30 of aircraft 32, and are located behind a typically last or aft-most row of passenger seats 34. In addition, a full galley 36 is located aft of the rear doors and forward of the aircraft's pressure dome 38. The full galley typically extends across the full width of the rearmost portion of the passenger cabin, and includes galley carts, storage units, ovens, beverage makers, and the like.
In today's commercial airline industry, operators prefer passenger cabin arrangements that maximize the number of seats available for passengers. Unfortunately, increasing the number of seats in an aircraft can reduce the amount of space available for lavatories and food service galleys. In addition, while designs of lavatories are known that have removable dividers, these are typically stowed within the useable space of the lavatory, usually acting like an additional bi-fold door, but the manner in which such prior art dividers are stowed reduces the useable inner volume of the lavatory.
Accordingly, there is a need for a high passenger solution (“HPS”) for an aft portion of a single-aisle aircraft, which provides space for at least one additional row of passenger seats, and provides a galley that is capable of supporting a satisfactory level of food service for passengers. In addition, there is a need for such a high passenger solution that includes at least one lavatory that is accessible by persons with restricted mobility (PRM), and at least one cabin attendant seat (CAS). There is also a need for a high passenger solution that allows a lavatory partition to be removed from the center of the lavatory and stowed against an entry door, while leaving the interior of the lavatory substantially unobstructed for entry, egress and use of disabled passengers, that does not interfere with the normal operation of either lavatory entry door for a dual lavatory, and that will not allow the partition to be opened if either lavatory door is closed, eliminating the need for special locks, or access tools. The present invention satisfies these and other needs.